Mammoth Music Festival in Cincinnati among best new festivals in US

One of the best new festivals in the country is right here in Greater Cincinnati.

The Mammoth Music & Arts Festival in Newport earned the No. 4 spot on the Best New Festival list by USA TODAY’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards.

The daylong, multi-genre music festival launched in Newport in 2024.

In October 2025, the lineup included more than 30 local, national and international artists spanning a range of genres, including punk, hip-hop, bluegrass and country.

The free event had three outdoor stages and two indoor stages at the live music venue Southgate House Revival. The festival also included an outdoor gallery with fine art vendors and local food and drink vendors.

For the full list and ranking of the best new festivals, see below.

Best New Festival

Holy Smokes! Festival (Garrettsville, Ohio).
Fanatics Fest NYC (New York City, New York).
Outside Days Festival and Summit (Denver, Colorado).
Mammoth Music & Arts Festival (Newport, Kentucky).
James Island Wellness Festival (James Island, South Carolina).
Reggae Rise Up Oregon (Redmond, Oregon).
Chesterfield Outdoor Fest (Chesterfield, Virginia).
Pacific Northwest Food & Wine Festival (Spokane, Washington).
Los Angeles Festival of Movies (Los Angeles, California).
Paiute Spring Festival (Las Vegas, Nevada).

What is USA TODAY’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards?

USA TODAY’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards highlight the very best in travel, food and drink and lifestyle. Every week, USA TODAY 10Best invites a panel of industry experts to nominate their favorite points of interest and attractions across a wide range of categories. 10Best editors then vet these nominations and select a final set of nominees to be presented to the voting public for a period of four weeks.